FUTURE OF BULGARIA

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 80, 29 December 1920, Page 5

FUTURE OF BULGARIA

. PRESSING NEEDS THE PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED M. Alexander Stamboulinski, the Bulgarian Prime Minister, while in London .recently, made the following statements to a representative of tho "Financial .Times" :— "I would like to begin by saying that on arrival in England I was informed several public men, in Parliament and elsewhere, had openly expressed' their entire lack of confidence* in Bulgaria. They asserted they had no faith in the Bulgarians ( aml that our promises were not to be relied upon. Now, having strenuously opposed from the very beginning the entrance into the world war of. Bulgaria on the side of the Central Empires, and even.been senienced to death for having too boldly opposed tho war policy of,ex-Tsar Ferdinand, I ,may beg leave to speak my mind very freely. "I assert that if Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the 'Centrals' it wag very largely the consequence' pf lite Entente policy in making over in the most prodigal manner territories, or promises of territories, to Bulgaria's neighbours and competitors in the Balknns without in the slightest degree considering tlio interests or the feelings of the Bulgarians themselves. As a matter of common justice, tho Entente might have considered the interests of a young, laborious, and/educated littlo nation like Bulgaria, but the Kntonto nations did nothing or the kind. We had not the slightest wish to become a dependency of the Russian Empire, as must hava been tho case if Russia had been allowed to tako Constantinople. If only a few battalions of Entente troops at the beginning of the war could havo occupied a Bulgarian seaport, Varna, or some other Bulgarian town, to show they were looking after Bulgaria, the population would have received tho troops.with open arms, and war against the Entente would have been practically impossible. Unfortunately, the Entente, diplomacy put more trust in Tsar Ferdinand than they did l in the Bulgarian people, and the consequences were disastrous.

"However, the war is now a past matter, and although everybody is suffering severely from its consequences, Bulgaria accepts the silnation. She now wishes to renew her economic and diplomatic relations with England, and that is what I am hero in London for.

"We want protection as well as financial aid from tho Entente Powers, for Bulgaria, accepting the situation as she does, is not in a position to carry out tho Treaty of Peace without such assistance.

I "Let me slate in the most earnest and solemn manner possible • that Bulgaria harbours no aggressive designs on her neighbours. She will endeavour to realise all tho conditions of the Peace Treaty, but she wants the Powers to lend the weight of their inHuenco to bring about the restoration of friendly relations between Bulgaria and her neighbours. "Cordiality between tho Balkan States is absolutely indispensable as a guarantee that Sic conditions of 'the Peace Treaty shall bo carried out not only by Bulgaria, but also by her neighbours. Without this mutual understanding and mutual forbearance the economic revival of the Balkans is an impossibility. ■*\ "At tho present timo the position is that relations between Bulgaria and her neighbours aro merely tolerated. 1 am anxious they should become really friendly. To bring about this wo want theinfluential assistance of England."

Speaking as to the economic s.nd finan. cial possibilities of Bulgaria, M. Stainboulinski said that so far Bulgaria had paid all arrears of coupons on Bulgarian bond issues, the? majority of which were held -iu France. She had; provided for this out of her ordinary Budget. It would bo diflicult to go oji doing this indefinitely without somo financial assistance. A considerable sum had been set aside by the Entente to assist small nations. He hoped Bulgaria might bo one of them.

Now methods of taxation were under consideration so as to increase the fiscal resources of Bulgaria. At present there was ft super-tax on wealth, an income tax, though not a global income tax, and a "patent" tax on all merchants, manufacturers, and traders, though not on the agriculturists, who formed 90 per cent, of tho population. The reformattan of tho Bulgarian fiscal system would considerably increase the national revenue, but he could not as yet state in w'hat proportions. "If we could induce British traders, British manufacturers, and British capitalists," said the Prime Minister, "to become interested in the country much advantage would result both for British trade and for ourselves. "There is a grout deal of mineral wealth in Bulgaria, almost entirely unoxploited for lack of capital. There are 10 or 50 coal and copper mines, but-only one of these, a collwry, is being worked, and that on behalf of the State.

i "Wo are prepared to do everything i possible to facilitate British enterprise. ■ We cannot, it is true, promise special privileges or special concessions in favour of any one group of financiers or traders,' because such special privileges are totally opposed to our constitution and to the democratic character of our people, but wo are prepared to treat British syndicates or British companies formed to do business in Bulgaria, as woll as the branches i» Bulgaria of Bru tish banks, on an equality with our own poople. British companies in Bulgaria will enjoy tho same freedom as if they were Bulgarian companies. "We are most anxious to got into touch with the financial advisors of your Government and ultimately wiih tho world of finance in London, so that wo may induce them to giro scriouS attention to our financial needs and to the guarantees which w« arc prepared to offer. Wo likewise wisli to interest British trade in the opportunities for business with » laborious, thrifty agricultural people like thj Bulgarians, who in financial matters have an admitted reputation for meeting their engagements; We are not without hope that ultimately it may be possible to ace nn AngloBulgarian bank formed to facilitate credit between tho two countries. Needloss to say that, if formed by approved people, such a bank would meet with whole-hearted support in Bulgaria." |